John and Sadie were dedicated Christians. They served God and their community with unfailing passion. As Mennonites, they allowed their faith to permeate every area of their lives. Anything less would not have been acceptable to them. John was a man of prayer who had a passion to see God glorified through everything he did. He passed this vision on to his family, and everyone who met them knew of their spiritual commitment.

He and Sadie led their family in working hard to support themselves. For years the family worked together at building storage sheds at home, gaining a reputation for quality work. They were also very actively involved in their community, being one of the first to respond to the needs they observed around them.

Being musically inclined, the Eshes sang together even when their family was still quite small. As their family grew to twelve children, they became a small choir who loved to bless the people in their community with their songs. As this desire grew, they soon produced their own albums and wrote many of their own songs. Through these recordings, they continue to bless people even after their deaths.

Sadie loved singing with her family, but was not enthusiastic about going through the rigorous process of making a music album. Her enthusiasm was tunneled instead towards the distribution of her family's music. For years she faithfully responded to phone calls and mail requests for CDs.

As the children grew into adults, they also launched out into Christian missions. During one such trip in Ukraine, their son and brother Johnny was killed in a snowmobiling accident. This was the Esh's first major confrontation with the sting of death. Through this experience, they learned to see God's love in the midst of grief.

Because of their strong testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, we know that all of the Eshes who died now live in paradise. For the remaining family, even this recent tragedy has made their faith more precious. They testify of more faith and trust in God because of these events. When they consider their family rejoicing in eternal bliss, they are able to accept these deaths, even with gratitude. They are determined not to be sidetracked by the temporal pain, but to look for the beauty that God is revealing through their losses.